Bill Requiring Interior and USDA to Study Broadband Barriers Clears House Natural Resources

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2026 – The “Enhancing Administrative Reviews for Broadband Deployment Act” a bill aimed at removing barriers to deploying broadband on federal lands, cleared the House Natural Resources Committee by unanimous consent on Wednesday.

Introduced by Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., on December 11, 2025, the measure would require the Interior and Agriculture Departments to study and create a report on any barriers, rules or regulations–within their agencies–that are delaying broadband deployment.

“Bridging the digital divide requires cutting through bureaucratic red tape, inefficiencies, and delays, and this legislation does just that,” Kean said in a statement after the vote.

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